SC upholds inquiry into corruption allegations against BFF officials
Staff Reporter :
The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court on Sunday upheld partly a High Court order that asked the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to hold an inquiry into whether there has been any fraud, embezzlement or corruption in spending the money that the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) received from the government.
The court, however, issued a status quo till July 9 on the other part of the HC order that asked the ACC to hold inquiry into whether there has been any fraud, embezzlement or corruption in spending the money that the BFF received from the International Federation of Football Association (FIFA).
Justice Md Abu Zafor Siddique, Chamber Judge of the Appellate Division, passed the order after hearing a petition filed by BFF Senior Vice President Abdus Salam Murshedy against the HC order.
During the hearing the court commented, “No one is beyond the purview of the law except the President. Then where is the obstacle to hold inquiry into the allegations of corruption against BFF officials?”
Lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan who represented the ACC in the court hearing said the Chamber Court issued a status quo on the HC order till 9 July to hold inquiry into the allegations of corruption, money laundering, embezzlement and fraud regarding the money received from the FIFA.
“However, the investigation of irregularities with the money received from the government will continue. There is no legal barrier to it,” he added.
Earlier on May 15, this year, the High Court ordered the ACC to hold an inquiry into whether there has been any fraud, embezzlement or corruption in spending the money that the BFF received from the FIFA and the government.
The Anti-Corruption Commission-ACC has been asked to submit a report within four months complying with the order.
The HC bench of Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice Khizir Hayat passed the order after hearing a writ petition filed seeking its directive on the ACC to probe the corruption allegation raised against the BFF officials after FIFA imposed a sanction in April this year.
The High Court also issued a rule asking the respondents to explain as to why their inaction in holding an inquiry into the corruption allegations against the BFF officials, including its President Kazi Mohammad Salahuddin, Senior Vice President Abdus Salam Murshedy and former General Secretary Abu Nayeem Shohag, should not be declared illegal.
Youth and Sports Secretary, Bangladesh Bank Governor, ACC Chairman, Chairman of the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU), Chairman of the National Board of Revenue (NBR), BFF President and Senior Vice President, and others were made respondents in the rule.
